


Big Wheel (Keep On Turning)

by poiregourmande



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Wheelchairs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-07
Updated: 2013-06-07
Packaged: 2017-12-14 06:20:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/833724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poiregourmande/pseuds/poiregourmande
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine broke his leg and asked Artie to help him get the hang of the wheelchair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Wheel (Keep On Turning)

Artie was pretty surprised when he picked up his ringing phone and saw that the caller ID was Blaine Anderson. The guy had probably never called him before, and Artie couldn’t think of a single reason for him to be calling now. He did joined New Directions, but he always was closer with Kurt than with the rest of them, even now that they weren’t together anymore. He decided to finally answer it to find out.   
  
“What up?”  
  
“Artie? Um, hi, it’s Blaine! How are you?”  
  
“Fine, but you didn’t call me just to ask how I was. What is it?”   
  
Blaine took a moment to answer, clearly taken aback by Artie’s straight-forwardness.   
  
“Um, I-I need your help...”  
  
“What for?”  
  
“I broke my leg falling from my couch – “  
  
“Won’t you ever stop climbing on furniture?” Artie had to refrain from chuckling – it was serious, if Blaine broke his leg, even if the situation was kinda hilarious.  
  
“The point is, the doctor said it was too severe to use crutches, so I’m in a wheelchair for the next month at least.”  
  
“Welcome to the club,” Artie said. “And you need my help why?”  
  
“I’m having trouble getting used to it, and I’m also gonna have to learn the wheelchair choreography for glee club.”  
  
Artie thought about when he first got his wheelchair. It would have been nice to have someone show him the ropes, he thought.  
  
“Yeah, alright. Do you want me to come over? My dad can drive me.”  
  
“That would be great, thanks!”   
  
***  
  
Artie rang the doorbell at the Anderson’s house and was greeted by a short woman with dark hair.   
  
“Hi! You must be Artie! Come in, Blaine is in the living room.”  
  
She helped him get over the threshold, then lead him to the living room before heading upstairs.  
Blaine was sitting on the couch, his wheelchair standing right before it.  
  
“Yo, B-Man!” Artie rolled closer and fist-bumped Blaine. “How’s it going?”  
  
Blaine shrugged.  
  
“I even have trouble getting in the chair. I’m just afraid it will slip and I’ll fall on the floor.”  
  
“It won’t, that’s what the brakes are for.”  
  
Artie brought the chair closer to Blaine and put the brakes on.  
  
“Here you go! And you do have the advantage of having one working leg, at least. Just hop on one foot and you’ll be good to go.”  
  
Blaine nodded and, looking totally focussed on the task, pushed himself with his hands, standing awkwardly on one foot. Unable to keep his balance much longer, he let himself fall in the chair with a big thump. Artie cringed.  
  
“Careful with the chair. Try going slower next time. If you’re unstable, you can hold on to the armrests.”  
  
Blaine nodded and shifted to sit comfortably, his cast propped on the foot rest.  
  
“Alright,” Artie said, “let’s practice turning. Can you wheel around the couch?”  
  
Blaine, with a look of stubborn concentration, grabbed the wheels and started rolling. When he got to the corner of the couch, he stopped and looked at Artie helplessly.  
  
“Push with the wheel on the opposite side of where you wanna turn.”  
  
Blaine did so, but misjudged the distance, and bumped into the couch.  
  
“It’s okay,” Artie said with an encouraging smile, just try again.”  
  
Artie made him do a few more laps around the couch before nodding approvingly.  
  
“Yeah, I think you’re ready for the real world. Maybe even for... a race against your master,” he said with a smirk.  
  
With the help of Blaine’s mom, they got out of the house.  
  
“Your house is really not wheelchair-friendly, man. Having to ask for help every time I wanna go outside? I’d freak out,” Artie remarked.  
  
Blaine shrugged. “It’s just for one month.”  
  
Artie smiled softly. He wished it was only for one month for him too, but he knew better than to wish for change again – it only led to disappointment.  
  
“Come on, let’s do this,” he said, trying to change the subject.  
  
Blaine’s house had a very long driveway, perfect for this kind of race.  
  
“To the end and back,” Blaine said. “The loser owes a burger to the winner.”  
  
“You’re on. Cheese and bacon for me, please.”  
  
Blaine laughed. “A little full of ourselves, are we?”  
  
“Damn right I am. I can take a beginner like you anytime.”  
  
“Sure you can,” Blaine teased, leaving before Artie could know what happened.  
  
“Hey, not fair!” Artie protested before wheeling after him.  
  
Blaine reached the end of the driveway a few seconds before Artie and turned to come back, but he missed it and crashed into Artie’s wheelchair, almost falling into his lap.   
  
“Whoa there! A little trouble with your one-eighties, I think?”  
  
Blaine pushed himself up, his hands lingering on Artie’s thigh a bit too long to be innocent.  
“Yeah, I’m gonna have to work on that... After I beat you!”  
  
Once again, he left without any warning, leaving Artie behind. He crossed the finish line right before him, a huge grin spreading on his face.  
  
“What were you saying?” he said cheekily.  
  
“Pff. I totally let you get ahead.”  
  
“You still owe me a burger, though.”  
  
“Alright, it’s a date.”


End file.
